ArkLaTex Speedway
McCool earns pole at ArkLaTex's Pelican 100
Bub McCool earned the pole for Saturday's Pelican 100 main event. (R&R Motorsports Photography)
VIVIAN, La. (March 8) — Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., claimed the first heat race during Friday's preliminary action for the third annual Pelican 100 at ArkLaTex Speedway, earning the pole position for Saturday's unsanctioned 100-lap main event at the quarter-mile oval in northwest Louisiana.
McCool, who finished second in last year’s Pelican 100 main event, will look to improve on his 2012 performance at ArkLaTex when he starts Saturday’s event alongside home-state standout Chris Wall of Holden, La., who won Friday’s second heat race to earn the outside pole. | Video | Slideshow
The $10,000-to-win, $800-to-start is the richest Late Model event this season in Louisiana.
McCool, who began Friday night’s action by posting a lap of 14.234 seconds to top the event’s 47 qualifiers, earned a hard-fought victory in the night’s first heat race, holding off fifth-starting Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., in the 10-lap prelim. Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., finished third to earn the race’s final transfer spot.
Wall needed only two laps to advance from fourth to the first in heat two two and controlled the remainder of the race in leading Timothy Culp of West Monroe, La., and B.J. Robinson of Shreveport, La., to the finish. Culp and Robinson joined Wall in transferring to the main event.
Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., worked his way forward in the night’s third heat and topped front-row starters Tanner English of Benton, Ky., and Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., at the finish. Meanwhile, Moyer Jr.’s father Billy Moyer dominated the fourth and final heat to claim a feature starting spot along with runner-up Wendell Wallace also of Batesville, and third-place finisher Robbie Stuart of DeRidder, La.
The first six rows of Saturday's main event are set with the remainder of the 22-car field to be set through consolations and two provisionals. One provisional starter will be determined by drawing a name from a hat while the other will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Notes: The field was split into two qualifying groups. McCool’s lap was fastest in group one and overall, while Culp topped the second group with a lap of 14.414 seconds. ... Among drivers not earning featuring starting spots through Friday’s heats: Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas; former race winner Ray Moore of Shreveport, La., Kyle Beard of Trumann, Ark.; Stacy Taylor of Jacksonville, Ark., and Ross Camponovo of Clarksdale, Miss. ... Defending race winner Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., did not enter the event.
Pelican 100 lineup
Row 1: Bub McCool, Chris Wall
Row 2: Don O’Neal, Billy Moyer
Row 3: Jack Sullivan, Timothy Culp
Row 4: Tanner English, Wendell Wallace
Row 5: Terry Phillips, B.J. Robinson
Row 6: Billy Moyer Jr., Robbie Stuart
Row 7: Consolation transferrees
Row 8: Consolation transferrees
Row 9: Consolation transferrees
Row 10: Consolation transferrees
Row 11: Provisional starters
